SpaceMonth 2020 Celebrates Exploration Achievements with Eye Towards Moon, Mars and Beyond
July is SpaceMonth, marking major advancements of human activity beyond Earth and focusing enthusiasm for innovative new endeavors in space – from LEO to Kuiper belt. Humankind becoming a multi-world civilization with the Apollo 11 Moon landing is commemorated July 20, as is the first successful robotic mission landing on Mars, Viking 1 as Space Exploration Day. Official federal holiday status works its way into law through House Resolution 59, sponsored by Representative Kendra Horn, currently in committee. Appropriately, SpaceMonth 2020 is to see 4 space agency efforts towards robotic missions on and around the Red Planet: Al Amal (Hope), a UAESA / JAXA collaboration, aims for July 14 launch via H-2A to Mars orbit; NASA plans to launch the US$2.1B Mars 2020 July 30 on Atlas V, carrying Cruise stage, EDLS, and Perseverance rover with deployable helicopter drone Ingenuity; CNSA is to launch its Orbiter / Lander / Rover mission Tianwen-1 (Questions to Heaven) on the 23rd using Long March 5 heavy lift rocket. Other notable spaceflight observances in July include third Venus Flyby of Parker Solar Probe on the 11th; Chandra X-Ray Observatory – launched by Space Shuttle Columbia STS-93, led by Eileen Collins, first female Space Shuttle commander – reaching 21 years in orbit on 23rd; Juno will make 27th Science Flyby of Jupiter on Perijove 28 on July 25. (Image Credits: NASA, KSC, Lockheed Martin)
MONDAY
Highlights… Jul 6 — ISS, ~405-km LEO: Expedition 63 five-member crew preparing Plant Habitat-02 for plant samples launching on NG-14, working with liquid phase sintering, gas evolution, neutron radiation measurements; Behnken participating in Artemis Student Challenge event; Joel Montalbano will serve as ISS Program Manager.
Jul 6 — NewSpace: India Agnikul Cosmos expects to start smallsat launches in 2022; Virgin Galactic moves toward FAA licensure; Skyrora of Scotland adds Astronaut Tim Peake to Board, aiming for orbital launch 2023.
Jul 6 — Hawai’i:The Space Perspective considers bringing stratospheric balloon rides to Hawaii; UH88 Director Mark Chun discusses telescope past 50 years and future operations; advocates support space access in Hawaii to strengthen resiliency.
Human Off-World Living Discussed During NASA 7th Exploration Science Forum, Moon Dialogs and Beyond Earth Webinars
The 7th Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum is being held virtually this year July 8-10, hosted by Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute headquartered at ARC in Moffett Field CA. Major focus will be on mission results, science and exploration studies aiding Artemis Human Moon Program, as well as NEAs and Mars moons. The 2020 NESF program has 66 talks, 100 ePosters and related events including LunGradCon 2020. Speakers are NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Noah Petro on LRO @ 11, Elliot Sefton-Nash on ESA Prospect payload for Luna 27, Chairs Parvathy Prem and Ashley Clendenen for session ISRU & VIPER Missions, Chairs Joseph Lazio & Neil Bassett for session Radioastronomy on the Moon, and Carle Pieters on The Importance of our Moon Beyond the Current Environment. On July 8, Beyond Earth is hosting a Webinar discussing the Artemis Accords with Mike Gold, Pete Worden, Laura Montgomery and others. The 4th Moon Dialogs ‘Planetary Protection and Lunar Activities‘ will feature Jim Bridenstine, Mike Gold, Tanja Masson-Zwaan, Lindy Elkins-Tanton and Alan Stern on July 9. Moon Dialogs is a collaboration between Open Lunar Foundation, Secure World Foundation, MIT Space Exploration Initiative, Arizona State University and For All Moonkind – to coordinate mechanisms to accelerate peaceful and sustained presence on the Moon. The Space Frontier Foundation is also hosting another virtual Advocate Happy Hour July 10. (Image Credits: SSERVI, NASA, B. Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Beyond Earth, Moon Dialogs, et al)
Jul 6-10 — International Astronomical Union, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research,Perth, Australia: APRIM Perth 2020; 14th Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting, at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre; cancelled.
Jul 6-11 — Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), Hawaii Island: 2020 STEM Aerospace Research Scholars (STAR) Program; space and science vocation camp for Hawaii high school girls; postponed to Oct 5-10.
Jul 6 — Moon: 2.47° S of Saturn, 00:00.
Continued From…
Jan 2019 – Sep 2020 — New Horizons, Kuiper Belt: Full data collected from 7 instruments during KBO Arrokoth flyby to be transmitted to Earth over this time period.
Nov 2019 – Nov 2020 — Hayabusa2, Earth Trajectory: JAXA Hayabusa2 with two samples collected from C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu on trajectory for Earth return.
NET Jul 5 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / “Pics Or It Didn’t Happen”,LC1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Launch window opens for Rocket Lab Electron rocket to launch its 13th flight for Canon Electronics CE-SAT-IB Earth-imaging satellite, Planet five SuperDove CubeSats, and Faraday 1 CubeSat for In-Space Missions.
Jul 8-10 — NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), Online / Moffett Field CA:7th annual NASA Exploration Science Forum 2020; virtual meeting; will feature NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Jul 8 — Venus: At brightest, magnitude -4.48°, 02:00.
THURSDAY
Jul 9 — Moon Dialogs, Open Lunar Foundation, Secure World Foundation, MIT Space Exploration Initiative, Arizona State University, For All Moonkind,Online: Planetary Protection and Lunar Activities; featuring Jim Bridenstine, Mike Gold, Tanja Masson-Zwaan, Lindy Elkins-Tanton and Alan Stern; 14:00 EDT.
Jul 9 — Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Online / Washington DC: Live Chat: Space Junk; by Moriba Jah, free, 13:00 EDT.
Jul 9 — PwC Space Practice, Online: Webinar: The Emerging Space Nations; discussing Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and 3 case studies of Singapore, Egypt, Australia.
FRIDAY
Jul 10 — ISS, Altitude Raising Maneuver, LEO: ISS to be raised 480 meters to 418.5 km altitude via 138.7 second maneuver utilizing Roscosmos Progress MS-14 engines, 00:36 MSK.
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Jul 6 — 
Jul 6 — NewSpace: India 
Jul 6 — USA: 
= All times
= All times for international terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for space events, and…
= All times for international space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).
